Mechanical time fuse



MECHANICAL TIME FUSE Filed Oct '18,

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 9 1926, y fifi J. BARKER MECHANICAL TIME FUSE Filed Oct. 18, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .Fzafi I 1'5 !63 5 G 7.9 3 K? ibf/ lililllllllili lfill !!lll l!ilili A Patented Mar. 9, lQZfi.

JOHN S. BARKER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

MECHANICAL TIME FUSE.

Application filed October 18, 192}.

(GRANTED UNDER THE ACT 0]? To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. BARKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rochester, county of Monroe, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Mechanical Time Fuses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention described herein may be used by the Government or any of its oilicers or employees in prosecution of work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States without payment to me of any royalty thereon in accordance with the act of March 3, 1883.

The subject of this invention is a mechani cal time fuse and the invention relates more particularly to the firing mechanism therefor.

Mechanical time fuses, as generally constructed are provided with a chronometric motor or watch works mechanism attached to the fuse body, the motor or mechanism adapted to rotate an arm which, normally, is attached to or engaged by the timing or setting ring but which, when acted on by the forces set up upon the firing of a projectile carrying the fuse from a gun is released from its connection or engagement with the ring and attached to the main shaft of the motor to rotate therewith. The purpose of this arm is to trip the firing mechanism at a predetermined time.

My invention is designed to provide such a fuse with an arm which is permanently connected to the driving shaft and which has no connection or engagement with the timing or setting ring.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a firing mechanism carried by the 'timing ring and movable therewith.

A still further object contemplated by the invention is a novel means for connecting the motor to the fuse body.

The invention also contemplates the provision of means for imparting the wave of detonation to the magazine or booster charge in all positions of the timing ring.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of Serial No. 508,556.

MARCH 3, 1883; 22 STAT. L. 625.)

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the com- A plete fuse;

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference:

I provide a fuse body A formed with the usual threads A by which the fuse is screwed into the opening in the forward end of the shell or projectile.

A cavity is provided in the body A forming a magazine for the reception of powder A which is held in place in the cavity by a screw plug as shown or in any other suitable manner. The form of fuse body herein shown is for use with shrapnel shells, it being understood that the charge of powder A may be replaced by the usual detonator and booster charge for use in high explosive shells. The magazine is in communication through a series of ducts one of which is shown at A with an annular groove A formed in the body A and adapted to be filled with powder as shown, or other explosive.

The usual timing ring B is provided, which seats upon the body A and there is interposed between the body and ring an annular washer C of felt or similar material which is shellacked or otherwise cemented to the body A.

For the purpose of securing the ring to the body I prefer to provide apertures in the body A for the reception of screws G and G which are threaded into tapped recesses in the lower plate of the motor casing. The ring is formed with an annular shoulder upon which the motor casing rests thus holding the ring in place upon the body.

The timing ring B is formed with a partly cutaway portion between the lines B and B and has an aperture communicating with this cut-away portion for the reception of a detonating or fulmmatin cap B and the firing end of the firing pin B", the other end of which is positioned with a close sliding fit in an opening formed in a bridge piece D which bridges the cut-away portion.

A coiled spring B encircles the stemI of the firing pin B being confined betweenthe bridge piece D and a collar formed on the pin, and the pin is normally retained in unarmed position by a supporting roller B which is formed with a cutaway portion in which the collar rests; the spring B exerting pressure on the roller through the collar to one side of the longitudinal axis of the roller, thus tending to rock the roller and free the collar.

Toprevent the roller fromrocking, a lever or crank arm B is rigidly affixed thereto and the free end of this arm is normally positioned in a slot D formed in the bridge piece D. The lever is retained in position in the slot by a latch block D pivoted to the bridge piece by a pin D and having secured thereto a pin D through which the latch is rocked to release the lever, as will be hereinafter described. The block D is held from accidental displacement clock-wise by a shoulder formed on the bridge piece D against which it rests and, in the other direction by a centrifugal ,weight pivotally mounted on the pin D and held normally by spring D An arm the motor to rotate therewith and upon this arm is carried an arm E which has a limited sliding movement longitudinally thereof and is normally held in retracted position by a spring E The arm E is so proportioned that when the ring is turned in setting the fuse the pin D of the latch D will pass the arm without contact therewith,- but when the deviceis rotated as when a shell is in flight centrifugal force acting on the arm E will overcome the effect of the spring E thus bringing the arm E to its extended position, in which instance the pin D will lie in the path of travel of the arm. 7

From the foregoing it will be seen that for any setting of the ring B the fulminate cap B will always be in operative position with respect to, the groove A and, because of the connection of the groove through the ducts A with the magazine A instantaneous eX- plosion of themagazine charge is assured.

The position of the zero point B in the graduations on ring B has a definite relation to the position, of the firing pin mechanism and the position of the setting mark A on the ,body has a definite relation to the position of the arm E. To set the fuse for any desired time it is only necessary to change the positionof the firing pin mechanism with relation to the arm E, the maximum setting requiring a movement of the arm through slightly less than 360. Setting is performed by turning the ring 13 together with the cap F with relation to the body A, the coinci- E is secured to the main shaft of free the block and dence of the graduations with the setting mark A denoting the desired time of flight or range of the projectile to the point of burst. In setting, the pin D is permitted to pass the arm E, the arm being in its retracted. position as shown in the drawing. In the flight the arm E is held by centrifugal force in its extended position so that in its movement iscomes in contact with the pin D*. The centrifugal lock D in flight swings outward to a position which releases the lock D which is then held only by friction due to pressure of B until moved by thearm E contacting the pin D Vh'at I claim is:

1. In a mechanical time fuse, including a fuse body; provided with an explosive chamber, an annular groove and ducts connecting the chamber and groove; a timing ring mounted on the body and movable with resp'e'ct thereto, a primer carried by the ring in position to flash into the groove when X- plode'd an d describing an arc concentric with the groove when the ring is rotated, a firing pin carried by the ring for firing the primer,

block mounted for rocking movement on" the ring, said block having a cut-away portion, a collar on the pin and normally resting in the cut-away portion of the block, to retain the pin in unarmed position, a latch for normally holding the block against roclring movement, a centrifugal catch normally holding the latch, a motor connected to the fuse body and an arm moved by the motor and normally passing the latch without contact therewith and moved by centrifugal force to a position to contact the latch to permit the pin to fire the primer.

2. A mechanical time fu'se, including a fuse body; provided with an explosive chamher, an annular groove and ducts connecting the chamber and groove; a timing ring mounted on the body and movable with respect thereto, a primercarried by the ring in position to flash into the groove for all settings of the ring, a firing pin carried by the ring for firing the primer, a block mounted for rocking movement on the ring, said block having a cut-away portion, a collar on the pin and normally resting in the cutaway portion of the block to retain the pin in unarmed position, means for normally holding the block against rocking movement, a motor connected to the fuse body and an arm carriedby the motor and normally movable past the block holding m'e a-ns without contact therewith and acted upon by centrifugal force to move to a position to contact said means and trip the same to release th block. I

3. A mechanical time fuse, including a fuse body, provided with an explosive chamher, an annular groove and ducts, connecting the groove and chamber, a timing ring mounted on the body and movable with respect thereto, a primer carried by the ring in position to flash into the groove for all settings of the ring, a firing pin carried by the ring for firing the primer, means for normally holding the firing pin in unarmed position, a motor connected to the fuse body and an arm carried by the motor connected to the fuse body and an arm carried by the iotor normally movable past the pin holding means without contact therewith and moved by centrifugal force to a position to contact the holding means.

4:. A mechanical time fuse, including a fuse body, an explosive in the body, a timing ring mounted on the body and movable with respect thereto, a primer carried by the ring for igniting the explosive, a firing pin mounted on the ring for firing the primer, means for normally holding the firing pin in unarmed position, a motor connected to the fuse body and means moved by the motor to trip the pin holding means to release the pin, said means normally movable past the holding means without contact therewith and moved by centrifugal force to a position to contact the same.

5. A mechanical time fuse, including a fuse body, a timing ring mounted on the body, a firing mechanism carried by the ring and movable therewith and means connected to the body for releasing the firing mechanism, said means normally movable past the firing mechanism without contact therewith and moved by centrifugal force to a position to contact the same.

6. A mechanical time fuse, including a fuse body, a timing ring mounted on the fuse body, firing mechanism carried by the timing ring and movable therewith, said mechanism normally held in unarmed position, and means carried by the fuse body for tripping the firing mechanism, said means movable past the firing mechanism without contact therewith during setting of the fuse.

7. A mechanical time fuse, including a fuse body, a timing ring mounted on the fuse body, firing mechanism mounted in the fuse, and means for tripping the firing mechanism, said means adapted to pass the firing mechanism during setting of the fuse without contact therewith.

8. A mechanical time fuse, embodying a fuse body, a timing ring mounted on said body and movable with respect thereto, firing means carried by the ring and movable therewith and an arm for tripping the firing means connected to the fuse body and normally stationary with respect thereto.

9. A mechanical time fuse, embodying a fuse body, a timing ring connected to the fuse body, firing means carried by the ring and movable therewith and an arm for tripping the firing means connected to the body.

10. A mechanical time fuse, embodying a fuse body, firing mechanism carried by the body and movable to predetermined positions to set the fuse and an arm for tripping the firing mechanism held stationary during setting of the fuse.

11. A mechanical time fuse, including a fuse body, a timing ring mounted on the body, firing mechanism mounted in the fuse, means for tripping the firing mehanism and an indicator on the body, having a fixed relation with respect to the tripping means and graduations on the ring, the zero of said graduations having a fixed relation with respect to the firing mechanism.

12. A mechanical time fuse, including a fuse body provided with an explosive chamber, an annular groove, and ducts connecting the chamber and groove, a timing ring mounted on the fuse body, a primer carried by the timing ring and in position to flash into the groove for all settings of the ring, and means for firing the primer.

13. A mechanical time fuse including a fuse" body, a timing ring mounted on the body, a primer carried by the ring in operative position for all settings of the ring and means for firing the primer.

14. A mechanical time fuse, embodying firing mechanism and an arm for tripping the firing mechanism, the firing mechanism movable with respect to the arm to set the fuse.

15. A mechanical time fuse, embodying firing mechanism, an arm for tripping the firing mechanism and means for moving said arm, said means connected to the arm to secure unitary angular movement of the means and arm.

JOHN S. BARKER. 

